Whilst still one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history, it’s been a bumpy period in a galaxy far, far away – and now the latest movie, Solo, has suffered another minor blow.
The film was reviewed reasonably well but poor marketing was ultimately blamed for it struggling to recover its costs in cinemas, and it fell far short of expectations.
Now, it’s been reported that The Meg – the daft shark movie starring Jason Statham that was initially predicted to be a box office disaster – has overtaken its overall lifetime gross.
The Meg did far better than analysts first expected, going on to become a bona fide summer smash over the last three weeks.
And in just those few weeks, it has managed to make a hefty $412.8 million in takings – which, as Digital Spy points out, is more than Solo’s $392.6 million.
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The Meg’s success can mainly be attributed to a strong performance internationally: only 25% of its haul is said to come from the USA, while in China it’s had more than $140 million.
Solo failed to catch on at all in China, however; making just 410.1 million in its opening frame there.
In terms of critical response, the Star Wars standalone did far better than The Meg; winning a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to The Meg’s 46%.
Attention now turns to JJ Abrams’ Episode 9 to restore faith in the Star Wars name.
It’s the next chapter in the main Skywalker saga; the last part of which – 2017’s The Last Jedi – has generated its fair share of controversy.
Fans’ reactions to Rian Johnson’s film were decidedly mixed, despite strong reviews and a powerful box office performance.
Episode 9 – the title of which is not expected for some time yet – began production earlier this month and boasts a wealth of new characters.
Among them are newcomers played by Richard E Grant, Dominic Monaghan, Naomi Ackie, Keri Russell and – as reported yesterday – former Doctor Who actor Matt Smith.
They join the likes of John Boyega and Oscar Isaac, who were photographed in the UK last week shooting major scenes just outside of London.
As it stands, no further spin-offs like Solo are in the works, although Johnson is preparing his own trilogy.
Star Wars: Episode 9 is out in late 2019.